The Parish Church of Santa Maria, Laguna

         The town and parish of Santa Maria turned out to be the last in the province of Laguna that I was able to visit. Situated at the northern edge of the province and already bordering Rizal province, it is not a place one simply passes through. Since it lies away from the main highway, getting there requires a deliberate effort—and, given the traffic conditions in Rizal, a fair amount of patience.

         The opportunity came during a trip to Real, Quezon, on our way to Polillo Island. On the return journey, we made a detour to Santa Maria. At the church façade, I noticed a historical marker indicating that it was founded as early as 1602. Although the church has been rebuilt several times due to earthquakes and an uprising, traces of its earlier structure remain visible—particularly in its thick and simple façade and belfry, which quietly preserve its past.

        Just before the welcome arch stands another marker identifying Santa Maria as the rice granary of Laguna, a fitting introduction to a town whose character is shaped as much by its history as by its agricultural life.

The Welcome arch upon entering the town embedded with the Marilag Festival of Santa Maria

Our Lady of the Angels Parish Church, Santa Maria, Laguna

The parish convent

 

Churches in the Polillo Group of Islands

Aside from island hopping, our weekend trip to the Polillo group of islands led us to visit three towns and parish churches: Polillo, Burdeos and Patnanungan. 

St. Joseph Shrine (F-1587)
Polillo, Quezon

I noticed that the altar in Polillo has undergone some enhancements since my first visit to the church in 2018. Two niches have been added on either side of the crucifix on the main altar.

For old pictures of the altar of Polillo, click here.

St. Rafael Parish (F-1949)
Burdeos, Quezon

With the convent staff and volunteers

St. Isidore Parish (F-1962)
Patnanungan, Quezon

Lunch at the Laura Visah Transient House and Resort in Patnanungan

With the parish priest, Fr. Joey Manaran, AM and his parish volunteers.

Fr. Joey with the parish volunteers who prepared our meals in the Patnanungan. 

ISLAND HOPPING IN BURDEOS

 

Coccoc Rocks, Burdeos

Among the islands of Polillo, Patnanungan remained the one place I had yet to visit. I had been to Polillo itself, but not to Burdeos or Panukulan. So when our office shifted to a four-day workweek, the long weekend presented itself as an invitation.

A providential suggestion shaped the journey. When I mentioned my plan to the new bishop of Infanta during the seminar of new bishops, he advised that instead of going directly to Patnanungan, we should pass through Polillo and Burdeos first—already an island-hopping route in itself, and more practical given Patnanungan’s location behind Polillo. We followed his advice.

Upon learning that the parish priest of Real—where we planned to leave our car—was my former student in Canon Law at UST, I reached out to him for assistance in arranging our trip to the islands. He readily took the initiative, coordinating with the priests in the areas we intended to visit and organizing everything—from our meals and accommodation to the island-hopping itinerary.

We left the CBCP at 1:10 a.m. and reached Real, Quezon just before dawn. We caught the first 5:00 a.m. RORO to Polillo. After a two-and-a-half-hour crossing, we were welcomed at the parish convent with a warm breakfast, a gesture that would set the tone for the rest of the trip.

From Polillo, a van took us along a now fully cemented road to Burdeos. Even public buses already ply this route from Manila, boarding the RORO as part of their journey—a quiet sign of how accessibility has improved over the years.

We stayed at the parish convent in Burdeos. The parish priest, Fr. Jonard, was away on vacation, as his father was celebrating his 60th birthday. The convent, a relatively new two-story building, had several guest rooms. We were warmly received and cared for by the parish staff who came along with us for the island hopping trip.

Because of low tide, we could not depart from the usual port in Sabang, which is over a kilometer from the town proper. Instead, we went to Barangay San Rafael, about six kilometers away, where we boarded a parish-owned boat.

Our island-hopping itinerary included:

1. Binunbunan Island – where I saw beautiful hard corals.
2. Anilon Island – where we had lunch; the area featured impressive staghorn corals.
3. Anawan Island – where the corals were mostly stony and lobe corals, distinct from those in Anilon.
4. Anilon Cave – a striking rock formation with a natural opening; we admired it from a distance since there was no place to dock.
5. Luli (sandbar) – visible only during low tide.
6. Puting Bato – a white cliff formation with no docking area, but excellent for snorkeling due to its coral formations.

We returned to town by 4:30 p.m., this time docking at Sabang, the main port near the town.

The following morning, we celebrated Mass before breakfast. Then we set out for Patnanungan, passing along the way the striking Coccoc Rocks—two boulders standing side by side on a sandbar, like a father and child keeping watch over the sea. Then we passed by Pacabalo sandbar and lastly Minasawa island.

We arrived in Patnanungan just past noon and were welcomed by Fr. Joey Manaran, the parish priest of the Alagad ni Maria. Lunch, prepared by the parish, was served at Laura Visah Transient House and Resort on the northern end of the town. The banagan lobster was especially memorable.

 We were accommodated in a nearby transient house close to the parish church. It had three air-conditioned bedrooms, providing a comfortable place to rest. Later in the afternoon, we visited the beach at the southern end of the town, at Villa Karrine Beach Resort, where we enjoyed the sunset.

Supper was served at the convent. We shared with the women who prepared our meal some bahalina (coconut wine) that we had brought. They enjoyed it very much, taking turns drinking from a single glass in a simple yet joyful tagay.

I concelebrated with the parish priest for the 7am Sunday Mass then took a hurried breakfast at the convent as we prepared to leave. Parish volunteers gathered at the port to see us off. The boat, scheduled to depart at 9:00 a.m., left a little past 10:00. We arrived in Real at 1:30 p.m. and took a tricycle to the parish, where lunch awaited us. Earlier, Fr. Imay had sent word that he would prepare a meal for our return. It was, in every sense, a gracious ending to a journey marked by quiet beauty and generous hospitality.

On our way back to Manila, we made one final stop—to visit Santa Maria, Laguna, the last town in Laguna that I had yet to see.

The port in Polillo

The parish church of Polillo

Large bats hang by the trees near the convent in Polillo.

The road from Polillo to Burdeos

Binunbunan Island

Binunbunan Island

Anilon Island

Anawan Island

Anilon Cave

Luli Sandbar

Luli Sandbar

Luli Sandbar

Taking our lunch from the boat at the Anilon Island

Puting Bato which is already part of the mainland island of Burdeos is a snorkeling area. 

Puting Bato

Coccoc Rocks

Coccoc Rocks and sandbar

Pacabalo Sandbar

Pacabalo Sandbar

Minisawa Island

Minisawa Island

Minisawa Island, Burdeos

Watching the sunset at Villa Karrine Beach in Patnanungan

With the parish priest of Patnanungan and his volunteer parish staff.